Rosa soulieana

Rosa soulieana, or Soulié's rose (川滇蔷薇 chuan dian qiang wei), is a species of flowering plant in the family Rosaceae, native to China (southern Anhui, Chongqing, Sichuan, Tibet, and Yunnan).

Growing to 2.5-4 m tall by 4-8 m broad, it is an extremely vigorous, deciduous shrub with very long, spiny branches, covered in masses of small, grey-green leaflets. In summer it bears many small single white roses, each with a lax central boss of pale yellow. The flowers have a light clove scent, and are followed in autumn by orange-red hips.

In cultivation it can be trained as a rambler. It is hardy, but prefers a position in full sun.

The plant was collected in China by the French missionary and botanist Jean-André Soulié. who sent samples back to the Vilmorin Collection in France around 1895. A plant was then sent to Kew Gardens in England in 1895.

Subtaxa
The following varieties are accepted:
 * Rosa soulieana var. microphylla T.T.Yu & T.C.Ku – Tibet, Yunnan
 * Rosa soulieana var. soulieana – entire range
 * Rosa soulieana var. sungpanensis Rehder – northern Sichuan
 * Rosa soulieana var. yunnanensis C.K.Schneid. – Chongqing, central Sichuan, northwestern Yunnan